Golf Should Be A Sport For All - Najib

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak (left) handed over trophy to Anirban Lahiri who claim the first Maybank Malaysian Open 2015 (MMO)'s title here today.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he wants golf to be not just an elite sports but a sport for the people whereby more Malaysians are able to play.

Therefore, he said the sports should be accessible to all Malaysians at every level and hope with the move more Malaysians will emerge as top golfers in the future.

"(In this regard) I would like to congratulate the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) for starting a programme to promote golf at the school level where 11 schools are participating in this programme.

"I have given RM2 million to the MGA to promote golf at school level and I am willing to contribute more in the future," he said in his speech during the Maybank Malaysian Open 2015 prize giving ceremony at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC), here Sunday.

India's Anirban Lahiri emerged as the champion of the tournament and took home the trophy and US$500,000 (RM1.75 million) which was presented by Najib on the 18th green of KLGCC golf course.

On the tournament, Najib said it attracted around 450 million viewers around the world who watched a very splendid game which started last Thursday.

Najib also congratulated national golfer Danny Chia who emerged as the best Malaysian player in the tournament and Gavin Kyle Green who also stood out and crowned as the tournament's best amateur player. "We are getting more and more Malaysian professional players competing in the highest level," he said.

Najib also applauded Maybank for being a very good title sponsor over the last 10 years of the event. "This year the prize money is bigger and hope the prize will be even bigger in the years to come," he said.
-bernama.